Planadas, 08/01/2019
'The Third Agreement' is an achievement of the Technical Working Group on Coffee (MTC) coordinated by the Agency for Reincorporation and Normalization (ARN) since 2018 in Planadas. This working group benefits 71 former Farc-Ep members, members of the Nasa Wes'x indigenous council of Gaitania and coffee-farming families in the region.
'The Third Agreement' – a new collective brand of coffee, was launched at the second edition of the 'Expo Planadas' coffee fair. The Third Agreement was born from the coordinated work of ARN with producer associations in the region, ex-members of Farc-EP at the El Oso Territorial Space for Training and Reincorporation (ETCR), the indigenous community and the accompaniment of the Faculty of Design of the University of Ibagué.
"Peace with legality is built today in the territories of Colombia. This is a commitment of the national government to carry out sustainable productive projects and initiatives. We will continue to support collective processes such as 'The Third Agreement', to work hand in hand with ex-combatants and communities that bet on reconciliation," said Natalia Salazar, Advisor to the Director General at ARN.
´The Third Agreement 'is a collective commitment to peace, born in the land where the Nasa Wes'x indigenous community and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - People's Army (Farc-Ep) concluded a first peace agreement 23 years ago. The second peace agreement is the termination of the conflict, as signed by the National Government and Farc. This coffeehas aromas of reconciliation, based on the social fabric intertwined by ex-combatants, coffee communities and members of the indigenous council as a productive initiative and symbol of peacebuilding.
"The Academia cannot be oblivious to peacebuilding processes, today we are part of the construction of the collective brand 'The Third Agreement', where we involve three communities: ex-combatants, coffee-farming families and indigenous families. Today, they weave a new story of reconciliation" - said Daniel Lopera, Professor at the University of Ibagué.
The 71 former Farc-Ep members are in charge of the marketing of 'El Tercer Agreement' coffee, which is grown in the coffee plantations of the Nasa Wes'x indigenous community and by coffee families who have extensive experience in high quality coffee production.
"It is definitely possible to build Peace from the regions and working together amongst indigenous, farmers and ex-combatants. We are highly expectant, as this represents the successful fruition of all hours we've put it all this time at the coffee working group" – said Daviel Antonio Oyola, former member of Farc-Ep and delegate at the El Oso ETCR.
'Expo-Planadas' was the first commercial showcase of the collective brand 'The Third Agreement' and a great opportunity to present – in this scenario – the progress of the reincorporation process in the south of Tolima through the quality of a coffee that sows hope and reaps a new future.